Machine for unloading and counting cocoanuts or the like articles



R. C. McKEAND.

MACHINE FO R UNLOADING AND COUNTING COCOANUTS OR THE LIKEARTJCLES, APPLIeATIoN mm AUG.4, x919. RENEWED NOV. 26, 1920-.

1,382,522, Patented June 21, 1921.

' 5 SHEETS-SHEET I;

R. .0. McKEAND. MACHINEFOR UNLO-ADING AND COUNTING-COCOANUTS OR THE LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, 1919. RENEWED NOV. 26. I920- 1,382,522, Patented June 21, 1921.

R. c. McKEAND.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING AND COUNTING COCOANUTS OR THE LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATlON FILED AUGA. 1919. RENEWED Nov.2s,192o.

1,382,52Z. Patented June 21, 1921'.

5SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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R. C. McKEAND.

MACHINE FOR UNLOAD ING A ND COUNTING COCOANYUTS OR THE LIKE ARTICLES.

APPLICATION |LED AUG.4, 1919. RENEWED r10v. 2s.192o. I 1,382,522, Patented June 21, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT c. MGKEAND,

OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING AND COUNTING COCOANUTS OR THE LIKE ARTICLES.

Application filed August 4, 1919, Serial No. 315,249. Renewed November 26, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT C. MCKEAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsborough and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Unloading and Counting Cocoanuts or the like Articles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for unloading and counting cocoanuts and like articles, and has for vessels, and delivering same to containersv each of which hold 100 'cocoanuts, as is now the practice to package same.

Another object of the present invention consists in an improved system of conveyers for delivering such articles as oocoanuts to the receptacles from a barge or like vessel, which conveyers will not be interfered with by the rocking of the vessel or the rise and fall of the vessel in accordance with the tide. V

A further object of the present invention resides in providing an improved counting mechanism for the cocoanuts or other articles, and which is particularly adapted for use in connection with the containers having a capacity of 100 cocoanuts. In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure lis a side elevational view, with parts shown in section, of an improved apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in a position of use as unloading articles from the hold of-a barge.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the counting mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same with the parts shown in one position.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5+5, Fig. 3, and showing the parts in a neutral position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentaryview, with parts broken away and parts shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Serial No. 426,608.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a detail.

Fig. 9 is an edge elevational view of the counting disk with the shutter controlling mechanism illustrated in two positions; and

Fig. 10 is an elevational view, with parts shown in section, showing another detail of the shutter controlling .mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a dock and 2 a barge havmg a hold 3 loaded withcocoanuts or other similar articles.

In accordance with the present invention an elevator, designated generally at 1, is arranged to pass down into the hold 3 and is provided with a drag belt 5 for engag ing and lifting the cocoanuts out of the hold 3. The elevator 4 delivers the cocoanuts or other articles to one end of a con veyer 6, the other end of which is in communication with a fan-shaped hopper 7 communicating with one or more tubes 8 which deliver the cocoanuts or other articles to the counting mechanism. l

The elevator 41 is supported in a stand 9,

and -uch elevator is preferably pivoted in such stand as indicated at 10, in order that the elevator may adjust itself to differout positions of the vessel 2 occasioned by the rise and fall of the tide or disturbances on the surface of the water. This stand 9 may be placed either on the dock 1 or on the deck of the vessel, and when placed on the deck of the vessel movements in the vessel 2, incident to the tide and surface disturbances, may be compensated for by the pivotal connection 11 between one end of the conveyor 6 and tllGfStELIldQ.

The elevator 4: is, of course, made in suitable lengths to meet any required conditions and to enter the hold 3 to the desired depth and position. The elevator 4 is driven by a belt 12 from an engine indicated at 13, and the engine may be also employed to drive the conveyer 6 as by the use of a belt 14:. As seen to better advantage in Fig. 2, the conveyer 6 is in operative relation to drive a shaft 15 near the receiving mouth of the hopper 7, and the shaft 15 in turn, through belt and pulley connections indicated at 16, is employed to drive a countershaft 17, likewise coupled by belt and pulleys 18 to a shaft 19 that operates paddles or other suitable mechanism for the purpose of admitting the articles one by one to the various tubes 8.

The tubes 8 deliver the cocoanuts to the counting mechanism indicated generally at 20, and at the delivery end of the counting mechanism are placed sacks or other containers 21, in which the cocoanuts are delivered after being counted, and are then ready for shipment.

Referring more particularly now to the counting mechanism illustrated in Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive, the tubes 8 are shown inclined and have their lower ends arranged to deliver the cocoanuts or other articles onto a drop latform 22 connected by an arm 23 and a flat spring 2 1, which bears upon the nose of a cam 25, to rotate a counting; disk 26 having numerous inclined teeth 27 on gagged by the free end of the spring 24, so that each time the platform. 22 descends by reason of the weight of a cocoanut or other article delivered thereupon, the arm 23 will be shifted, causing the spring 24 to advance the counting disk 26 the distance of one tooth 27. V

The lower end of the arm 23 is pivoted, as indicated at 28, to the lower portion of the cam 25, and. the cam is in turn pivot ed, as indicated at 29, to the framework of the apparatus just beneath the disk 26. Consequently, as the arm 23 descends to the left, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 6. the cam 25 will be oscillated in a clockwise direction, causing the lobe 30 of the cam to rise beneath the free end of the flap spring 2 1- and insure the active bringing of the end of the spring into the tooth 27 presented at that time.

The device 31 is a dog pivoted at 32 to the frame-work and engaging with the teeth 27, so as to prevent retrograde rotation of the counter-disk 26 and being yieldingly held in engagement with such teeth 27 by a spring which allows the pivoting of the dog 31 required to allow the passage of the teeth 27 in a clockwise direction.

The platform 22 is in'closed by sides 3% and 35, to which a pair of shutters 36 and 37 are hinged, as indicated at 38 and 39. The shutters have secured to their lower sides a pair of strips 40 and 411, which carry a bottom or bed 42 forming a continuation. of the platform 22'and adapted to direct the cocoanuts or other articles into the receptacles 21. These shutters 36 and. 37 hinged for the purpose of swinging into the two positions shown in full. and, dotted lines in Fig. 4 whereby, after the receptacle 21 arranged at the delivery mouth of the shutters in the full line position has been. filled with, say, 100 cocoanuts, the shutters and bed 42 carried thereby are arranged. to be automatically shifted over to the dotted line position in order to direct subsequent cocoanuts or articles into the next receptacle 21; so that each pair of shutters 36, 37, employed is adapted to act in conjunction with two or more receptacles 21 and, where such receptacles hold 100 articles as is usual in the packing of coooanuts, the counting mechanism will be of a capacity to register the 200 articles.

Each shutter 36 and 37 is provided with a tooth d8 and id adapted to be engaged by a keeper 45 carried on the upper end of a lever e16 fulcrumed at l? in a bracket 18 carried by the framework of the machine. The lower end of the lever 46 is coupled to an axially movable shaft 19 mounted in brackets 50 and 51 on the framework, and having a nut or other suitable stop device 52 at the opposite end of the shaft to engage with the bracket 51 and prevent the disengagement of the shaft from said bracket and to also limit the degree of movement of the shaft 4L9.

A trigger 53 carried by the shaft 19 is arranged in the path of a pin 5 1 on the counting wheel 26. Vi hen the counting wheel 26 has completed a revolution the pin M will be brought into engagement with the trigger 53 and through such trigger will act to shift the shaft 19 longitudinally in the brackets 50 and 51 to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 6, which will be accompanied by a rocking of the lever 16 and a with drawal of the dog 45 from engagement with the tooth 13 of the shutter 36.

A coil spring 55, wound about the shaft 49, is arranged to be compressed when the shaft is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, so that after the release of the trigger53 from the pin 54- this coil spring 55 may come into play and return the shaft 4-9 to the full line position, also returning the lever 46 ane dog 4-5 to a locking position with the tooth ot the shutter which is brought into engagement therewithv As appears in Figs. 3 and 4, a lever 56 is fulcrumed at 57 and is connected by a pair of coil springs 58 and 59 to the opposite shutters 36 and 87. A metallic strap 60 carried by the rear end of the lever 56 straddles a beam 61 supported by the framework and provides for locking the lever in either the full or the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4. The lever is simply swung to either side and the strap or stirrup 60 becomes wedged in the sides of the beam 61.

In the position shown in Fig. 4;, the lever 56 has been moved to put a tension on the spine 58. The dOg 15, in this Fig.4, is shown in engagement with the tooth 43 of the shutter 36. Now, when this dog 45 is released from the tooth 43, the spring 58, pre viously placed under tension by the lever 56. will act to swing the two shutters 36 together with the bed 42 connected thereto overto the dotted line position. When the parts are in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, and the dog 45 permitted to engage the tooth 44 of the shutter37, the lever 56 may be swung about the fulcrum 57 to put a tension on the spring 59, so that when the dog 45 is next released the spring 59 may pull the shutters back from the dotted line to the full line position.

As previouslydescribed, the dog 45 is moved to release the shutters by the engagement of the pin 54with the trigger 53, and the arrangement is such that after one container 21is loaded with 100 cocoanuts the pin 54 on the counting disk 26 will have been brought intoengagement with the trigger 53 and the shaft 49 and dog shifted thereby to release the shutter-sand allow the spring 58 to swing them to the dotted line position where they will deliver the nextsucceeding cocoanut to the next adjacent container 21. In like manner, after the second container has been loaded with 100 cocoanuts and a fresh container substituted for the first filled container 21, the machine will automatically return the shutters through the spring 59 to the full line position shown in Fig. 4, where such shutters will direct subsequent cocoanuts to the freshly substituted container.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 10, the forward lower edge of each shutter is rounded or beveled off, as indicated at 62, to engage and drive down a plunger 63 mounted to verticallyreciprocate in brackets 64 secured to the framework, and when the reciprocating plunger 63 is depressed to the full line position shown in Fig. 10, it causes an arm 65 to rock from the dotted to the full line position in opposition to the influence of a weight 66 which tends to swing the arm 65 in the opposite direction and hold such arm and the bolt yieldingly in the positions I shown in dotted lines. The weight also acts to restore the parts to the dotted line position after the shutters have passed the head of the bolt 63. j

The arm 65 is connected to a sleeve 67 fixed to'the shaft 49 which carries the trigger 53, so that the swinging of the arm 65 will result in a corresponding rocking movement of the shaft 49, which allows the trigger 53 to be moved from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 9, in which latter position it escapesfrom thepin 54 and allows the pin to pass to a starting position in readiness for a re-count.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the bolt 63 is located approximately centrally between the shutters 36 and 37 when in the central position shown in this figure, so that the bolt 63 is normally engaged by and held depressed by one of the shutters 36 or 37 accordingly as the shutters are in the one or the other position, and it is only when the shutters are in the middle position indicated in Fig. 5, that is when they are being swung from the one to the other position, that the weight 66 may swing the arm 65 and shaft 49 to permit the release of the trigger 53 from the pin 54. As soon as the shutters have gained the'opposite position the bolt 63 will again be depressed and the trigger 53 restoredto the full line position, where it will lie in the path of the pin 54 and be engaged thereby on the next complete rotation of the counting disk 26.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated I that I have provided an improved machine for unloading cocoanuts or like articles from vessels and transferring the same rapidly and economically to standard containers'in.

may vary the details of construction and I arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

i 1. A counting mechanism including a depressible platform, a toothed counting disk, a flat spring having its free end adapted to engage with the teeth of said counting disk and actuated by said platform to advance the disk, a cam acting on said spring when the platform is depressed to force the spring into contact with said teeth, and means for delivering the articles from said platform to receptacles, substantially as described.

2. A device of the-character described including a 'depressible platform adapted to receive articles in succession, counting mechanism connected to said platform and operated by the depression thereof, means for directing the articles from the depressible platform, said directing means being movable, means for effecting the movement of said directing means, and means under the control of thecounting mechanism for causing the release of said directing means,

path of articles to be counted and moved by such articles for actuating the counting mechanism, a pair of swinging gates for directing the articles from such last named means, spring means for shifting said gates back and forth, a detent for holding the gates in the one or the other position, and means for releasing said detent, said means being under the control of the counting mechanism whereby the detent may be released whenever a predetermined number of articles have been registered on the counting mechanism, substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described including a counting mechanism, means actuated on by passingv articles for operating said counting mechanism, a pair of swinging gates for directing the articles from said last named means, a detent for holding the gates in the one or the other position, resilient means for swinging the gates back and forth when said detent is released, means for releasing said detent including cooperating parts carried by said means and by the counting mechanism whereby the detent may be released when a predetermined number of articles have been counted on the counting mechanism, and means actuated by the swinging gates for releasing the engagement of said cooperating parts to permit the restoration of the counting'mechanism to a zero position in readiness for a recounting, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described ineluding a counting disk having inclined peripheral teeth, a dog engaging therewith to prevent retrograde rotation of the disk, a depressible platform adapted to consecutively receive articles to be counted, a bar extending from said. depressible platform, a spring pawl carried by said bar for engaging the teeth of the disk, a cam pivoted near said disk and to said bar and having a 'lobe for engaging against said spring when the platform is depressed and forcing the same against the teeth of the disk, and means under the control of said rotating disk for directing the articles from said depressible platform into successive receptacles provided to receive same, substantially as described.

7. A device of the character described including a counting mechanism adapted to be actuated on the passage thereby of arti cles to be counted and including a rotary disk, a pin on said disk, a longitudinally shift-able and rotatable rod arranged near said disk, a finger on said rod in the path of the projection of said disk, said projection adapted to encounter the pin and shift the rod longitudinally, a. detent connected to said rod, a pair of swinging gates for directing the articles into successive receptacles, means whereby said gates may be held in position by said detent until released by the engagement of said projection with said finger, resilient means for shifting said gates to a subsequent position when the detent is so released, and means whereby said rod may be rocked to withdraw the finger from the path of the projection when the gates are swung, substantially as described.

8. A device'of the character described including counting mechanism, a pair of swinging gates for directing articles into subsequent containers after being counted, said gates having beveled under edges, a

bolt adapted to be struck by the beveled under edges of the gates and reciprocated thereby when the gates are swung back and forth, a rod journaled for axial sliding and rotating movement adapted to be connected to said bolt and rocked thereby. means for restoring the rod to initial position, a detent for holding said gates in a predetermined position also connected to said rod and released when the rod is shifted longitudinally, resilient means for swinging the gates when the detent is released, a finger on said rod, and a projection on the counting mechanism adapted to engage said finger to shift the rod longitudinally, said finger adapted to be moved out of the path of said projection when the rod is rocked, substantially as described.

ROBERT C. MCKEAND. 

